LITTLE TO BIG
Luke 16:10-13 NKJV
10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? 13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
This is an intriguing chapter where Jesus is talking about stewardship. How someone handles what is put into their care. And in these verses is hidden a truth that can become a good guideline for life.
The principle Jesus introduces is the little to big principle. How we handle little things is how we will handle big things. Jesus put it much better. Faithful in the least, faithful in much. Unjust in the least, unjust in much. Jesus adds that if we don’t handle money well, unrighteous mammon, or wealth, we cannot be trusted with true riches. Jesus does not elaborate on what the true riches are, but we sense these are spiritual things that have more value. In any case, to Jesus, money was a little thing compared with spiritual things, which are big from His perspective.
Jesus goes on to share that if we don’t take care of what belongs to someone else, why should we be given that which is our own? When I spoke with Pastor John Osteen in 1996 about starting a church, he shared something that I had not taken into account. He told me that I had been a good church member. I was a volunteer with Lakewood for ten years. And because I was a good church member, he believed I would be a good pastor. This is what Jesus was talking about. I was faithful to serve in a church I did not lead, so I was positioned to lead a church of my own.
In verse 13, Jesus shares that we can’t serve two masters. Someone will receive our best. We can’t serve God and mammon or money, wealth. Jesus did not say that we cannot serve God and have money. But someone is going to be number one. There can’t be two number ones. One is going to get our best. And here is a hint: serve God. In the long run, it will turn out far better. Money makes a poor god, and if that is what we are serving, we’ll never have enough. But serving God and seeking first His Kingdom, the other things will be added to us. Plus, serving God is far more satisfying and feeds our souls, something money simply cannot do.
APPLICATION
This little to big principle is invaluable in terms of knowing who to trust and how increase comes in our lives. Do not promote a person who has been unfaithful in their current position. Faithfulness is a heart position. That’s where it starts. If someone is giving their best effort in their current position, they can be trusted to do the same when given more responsibility. Some of my biggest mistakes have been promoting a person, thinking that the job title will produce faithfulness.
How we handle the little things gives a picture of how we will handle bigger things. Can we grow and learn to be more faithful? Can we learn to handle even the little things in life well? Sure we can, and it will be a determining factor to seeing increase in our lives.
PRAYER
Lord, show me any area where I have not handled things in my care faithfully. I want to qualify for more.